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Improving the Presentation of Your Report

Technology provides new, exciting and better ways of improving the pre sensation of
a report. A computer equipped with word processing or desktop publishing software
not only makes the work easier but also provides the opportunity for you to create a
report every bit as polished and professional as one produced by an expert team
including a writer, typist, typesetter and graphic artist.
The objectives of good presentation are:
 To attract and retain the interest of the readers.
 To help them understand the contents of the report without undue effort.
 To enable them to find their way around the report quickly.
 To demonstrate your professionalism and, where appropriate, that of your
department and/or your organization.
This chapter provides a guide to determining the appearance of your report. It begins
with an overview of what word processing and desktop publishing can do for the
report writer. Then it considers how this tech neology can be used most effectively to
enhance each of the four elements which collectively create a high quality,
professional-looking report, namely:
 layout and design
 typography
 illustrations
 Color.

Layout and Design

Many considerations and decisions are required when choosing your overall layout
and design. In particular, you will need to think about:
 Format
 Page Size And Orientation
 Margins And Spacing
 Headings And Subheadings
 Numbering.

Format
Reports of today do not have to look like the traditional reports of yes today. They
can look interesting and make people want to read them. Word processing and desktop
publishing techniques can be used to create new, reader-friendly reports in exciting
formats such as modern, ultra-modern and enhanced modern.
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Page size and orientation

What size of paper will you use? The standard pages are these:

Figure 1

Figure 2
Margins and spacing
It is far easier for a reader to assimilate information presented in small sections than in
huge, uninterrupted blocks of print. Pages with too much type and artwork give the
appearance of being too heavy and hard to read.
 Adequate space between the lines of print (reports are often double-spaced with
1½-spacing for sub-paragraphs).
 An adequate and consistent margin on the left of the page for binding (the size
of margin on the left will vary according to the type of binding selected).
 Clear and consistent gaps between sections and paragraphs.
 A margin of at least an inch at the top (the header zone) and bottom (the footer
zone) of the page.
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Headings and subheadings

Headings and subheadings help busy readers of today by identifying and labeling
blocks of type. They are not standard. You must invent them. Make sure that they:
 Are comparatively short
 Are descriptive
 would be expected, or at least would be easily interpreted
 Are never vague (for example, avoid headings such as ‘General’,
‘Miscellaneous’ and ‘Other’)
 Are in an order which readers will find logical (perhaps in alphabetical order,
in chronological order, or in order of importance)
 Are identical to those listed in the table of contents (if used).

Numbering
The role of numbering systems is simply to identify the various components of a
report for reference and indexing purposes. There are two aspects to this:
 Numbering pages
 Numbering sections and paragraphs.

Typography
Typography is the art and style of printing. Today users have at their disposal literally
thousands of typefaces (specific type designs) and fonts (sets of characters in one
weight and style of typeface) from which to choose. The choice of type is important
because it will set the psycho logical mood and style of a report and create an
impression of formality or informality. Be selective, and, if appropriate, consider
taking advice from a designer who could help you develop a departmental or
corporate identity that works for your business.
But more likely, you will choose the type for your report. Three elements must be
considered:
 Kinds Of Type
 Size Of Type
 Type Alignment.

Kinds of type
Type can be classified into many different categories. One category is serif or sans
serif.
A type family includes all the variations of a basic design in every weight and point
size. These variations are also called typestyle and include:
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 Using upper case (capital) rather than lower case (small) letters.
 Changing the spacing either before or after the emphasized word(s).
 Indenting the words or text.
 Bulleting the words or text.
 Underlining the words or text.
 Double spacing the text.
 Using characters with different width (pitch).
 Using different typefaces or fonts.

Illustrations
Well produced and appropriate illustrations really enhance a report. They make the
information readily understandable, easily digestible and memorable. It is much easier
to assimilate information presented pictorially. Anything on a page other than text is
either artwork or graphics. The word artwork refers to the images in the report, such
as pho to graphs, drawings and cartoons; graphics are image enhancements, such as
lines, boxes and background tints.

When to use illustrations

Illustrations are useful only when they are easier to understand than the words or
figures they represent. Artwork and graphics should clarify, add to, illustrate, or
enhance the document in some way. They should not be used without a specific
reason or purpose.
Where to use visual illustrations
The algorithm on page 20 will help you decide where the illustration should be placed.
Ask yourself whether it would break the flow of the report or distract the reader. If the
answer is ‘no’, place it in the main body of the report, after, and as close as possible to
the point of reference. If the answer is ‘yes’, put it in an appendix.
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How to use illustrations

Artwork can be inserted in your report in two ways by using either the traditional
paste up method or the electronic paste up method. In the traditional paste up method,
you simply leave space for the art.

Colour
Colour adds a whole new look to a document. Today, full colour computer-generated
reports can be a reality through ink jet, thermal or laser printing. Systems are
becoming more sophisticated all the time and as the technology are advancing, so the
price of having colour printers connected to your computer is decreasing. Black and
white reports are rapidly becoming as outdated as black and white television sets.

Colored paper:
 Prevents glare
 Codes pages
 Adds variety
As you think about the physical construction and appearance of a report, bear these
points in mind:
 Your purpose (the action you intend the report to generate).
 The readership (number and nature).
 The expected life of the report (including the number of likely references to be
made to it).
 What materials and facilities are available within your organization?
 The cost of these various options (and your budget).
Paper
There are three aspects to consider when choosing paper, namely its:
 Size
 Quality
 Colour.
Paper, covers, binding and indexing
Finally, consider the overall appearance and required durability of your report.

 Think about the size, quality and colour of paper you will require.
 Remember that your report should have covers and that customized ones would
set it apart. Consider which binding system you will use.
 Ask yourself whether the report should be indexed and, if so, which would be
the best method to employ